All across the state, municipalities and residents can officially recognize January as New Jersey Muslim Heritage Month.
Gov. Phil Murphy signed a joint resolution from the state Legislature in spring 2023 that established and designated January as Muslim Heritage Month in the state.
In Cranbury, Mayor Eman El-Badawi read a proclamation by the township recognizing and celebrating January as Muslim Heritage Month at the Township Committee meeting on Jan. 22.
“It is a privilege to be able to do that,” she said. “This is a wonderful community that has embraced us all and I look forward to doing proclamations like that for other ethnicities, other cultures, other events, because that is truly how we build a community.”
Cranbury’s proclamation read as follows:
WHEREAS; on April 29, 2023, Governor Phil Murphy signed a joint resolution by the Senate and General Assembly of the state of New Jersey designating the month of January of each year as Muslim American Heritage Month; and
WHEREAS; Cranbury is proud to be the home to a vibrant Muslim American community that plays an essential role in forming and enriching the unique character of our community; and
WHEREAS; Islam is the second largest religion in the world, with 1.9 billion devotees worldwide and about 3.5 million in the United States. There are nearly three hundred thousand Muslim Americans in New Jersey, representing one of the largest Muslim American communities in the United States; and
WHEREAS; Muslim Americans have inhabited the land of the United States since before the country’s founding; Morocco was the first country to recognize the United States of America with the Treaty of Friendship in 1786, which remains America’s longest-standing unbroken treaty; and
WHEREAS; Muslim Americans are strong contributors to economic sectors and have particularly excelled in the areas of medicine, law, business, education, politics, government, military service, technology, science and culture and arts; and
WHEREAS; on this occasion, we recommit ourselves to standing against hate and injustice in all forms, and fostering peace, understanding and unity through awareness, education, community, and meaningful action; and
WHEREAS; today, Cranbury residents of all faiths and backgrounds celebrate our Muslim friends and neighbors and the cultural and religious heritage of the Muslim community; and
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT I, Eman El-Badawi, Mayor of Cranbury Township do hereby recognize the month of January as Muslim American Heritage Month.